Chancellor Christ updates seniors on commencement

Chancellor Carol Christ sent the following message to graduating seniors on Wednesday:

Congratulations on completing your studies at Berkeley. For those who joined the Blockeley University commencement on Saturday, I hope you found a sense of closure and reconnected to the campus and each other. If you had asked me a month ago what Minecraft was, I would have said it’s the art of working in a mine. Now I have my own avatar!

In April, I wrote that I would update you on plans for an in-person ceremony. While we had hoped a summer gathering would be possible, we still don’t know what the spread of COVID-19 will be like in the coming months, including its impact on resuming classes this fall. For these reasons, we don’t foresee being able to adequately plan an event this summer. I remain committed to celebrating you in person, hopefully in December 2020 or May 2021, and welcome your suggestions. One principle continues to drive every decision: protecting the health and safety of you and your family.

Despite our distance, I hope you know you are not alone. Last week, more than 1,200 alumni, parents, faculty, and staff posted video and photo tributes to the Cal Class of 2020. Visit commencement.berkeley.edu to see their smiles and kind words. We also lit the Campanile and other landmarks especially for you. View a YouTube video and Twitter photos to watch the blue and gold lights unfold.